I've moved!!

Hi All,

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back -- but at a new address! Come view some of my most popular posts and keep up with new ones at "Officially Forked"

Xoxo,
Steph

Wieners Gone Wild!

Accompanying every barbecue, ball game, or picnic, a hot dog is more than just meat in a bun – it is an American pastime. In “WIENERS GONE WILD!” a hot dog cookbook featuring over 40 original recipes with flavors from around the world, the classic dog is combined with a tasty 21st century makeover.

Hot dog aficionados and Massachusetts authors, Holly Schmidt and Allan Penn, have designed each recipe with specific cultures in mind.

“WIENERS GONE WILD!” is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.

Holly Schmidt and Allan Penn are the co-owners of Hollan Publishing, where they have developed and photographed hundreds of non-fiction books since 2006. Hollan Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Beverly, Mass. Visit www.hollanpub.com.

New Yorkers find freedom from Passover restrictions with Bread-Free Bagel

Photo: Inbal Hotel

New Yorkers desperate for their morning staples of black coffee and bagel can rejoice: Passover is no longer a breakfast death sentence. The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel announces the launch of the world’s first kosher for Passover Bagel. This groundbreaking idea was conceived and developed by Executive Chef Andreas Marinkovits, who has perfected the original recipe to create a New York style bagel, complete with hard crust and fluffy inside that is 100% kosher for Passover and is exclusively available at the luxurious Inbal Jerusalem Hotel.

The Inbal Jerusalem hotel is an award-winning, five-star deluxe hotel situated in the heart of Jerusalem overlooking the Old City walls, and minutes away from all the major cultural and historical sites. With its Jerusalem stone exterior, the 283-room hotel is known for its intimate authentic Jerusalem character and impeccable world-class service. Trip Advisor awarded the hotel with their Certificate of Excellence for the last two years in a row, ranking The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel among the top ten percent of leading hotels worldwide. For more information, please visit www.inbalhotel.com.

14 Workouts to Try

So I got an email from MyFitnessPal today. I've still been tracking my weight and checking in with MFP, but I've found more success with WW, so my tracking has become more consistent on WW than on MFP.

I still think MFP is a great free tracker/database resource for those interested in living a healthier lifestyle.

So anyway, MFP sends me a newsletter entitled, "14 for 2014"...... Points off because it's March... but the newsletter had some intriguing recipes, mantras, and workouts to try during the year. I've included the workout section of the email below:

Here are 14 fresh workouts to try–that you may end up loving all year long:

1. Tabata Training. Okay, it’s not new, but it’s the 4-minute workout that a lot of fitness buffs are still loving this year. The basic principle is this: go all-out for 20 seconds and rest for 10. Repeat 8 times and for a 4-minute round. Do 4 or 5 rounds and you’ll be spent! Changing up the moves keeps things fresh and your muscles sore afterwards. Read up on it and then check out some of examples of Tabata workouts on Pinterest.

2. FitSteps. People in the UK have been stepping out with FitSteps, a new dance exercise based on moves from popular dances like the Cha Cha, Tango, Jive and Quickstep. Fat burning, ab-tightening, and arm sculpting are just quicksteps away.

3. Werq. This dance workout borrows its name from dance slang and is a little less traditional than FitSteps. Apparently if someone says,  ‘werq it’, you’re dancing very well! These fun classes will have you shaking it and sweating to pop, rock and hip-hop.

4. CrossFit. If ‘werqing it’ isn’t your thing, maybe box jumps, sprints, squats and cleans sound like fun? If so, give CrossFit a try. This workout involves performing high-intensity, functional movements in a group gym, or a box as CrossFit fans call it, and are scalable to accommodate any fitness level.

5. Animal flow. This workout is a mix of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira with a dash of gymnastics, yoga and dance thrown in. Be prepared to crawl, jump from side to side, and balance on your hands, among other things, all the while keeping things moving and flowing. The focus is on strength and flexibility.

6. Indo Board Yoga. Bikram is out, Indo Boards are in. Hop on this 6-foot-long wooden board and rock on. Staying balanced on the board engages way more muscles during each pose which means you can get a much harder workout from this form of yoga.

7. Battle ropes. These aren’t the ropes you used to climb in gym class. Battle ropes are thick ropes of varying lengths that you can wrap around floor-bound anchors and use as bodyweight resistance tools. Research suggests that battle ropes may burn more calories than running or spinning, so tie one on and give these Top 20 Battle Rope Exercises a try.

8. Bells. Not the kind you ring, Kettlebells, SandBells, or if you’re really tough, SteelBells, are super hot this year. These versatile weights can give you quite a combined cardio-strength workout in a short amount of time. Check out a kettlebell class near you to learn the proper form, or ask if a trainer at your gym can show you a few SandBell or SteelBell moves.

9. Tower running. People typically go out of their way to avoid walking up a lot of stairs, but others are finding new ways to run them! Tower running, also known as vertical racing, is a fast growing sport involving running up the stairwells of some of the world’s tallest buildings. Find a monster set of stairs near you and give it a go–just watch out for the occasional employee making personal phone calls.

10. Cardio Barre. The barre method is a body sculpting exercise that originally focused on a ballet bar. Cardio Barre takes it up a notch, and a few steps away from the barre by incorporating cardio for a more intense, full-body workout.

11. Boutique biking. Not a fan of spinning? Boutique biking salons like SoulCycle and FlyWheel are popping up all over the country. These classes combine high-intensity cycling with inspirational coaching, choreographed playlists, and some of the wildest moves you’d never think to do on a stationary bike.  It’s been a celeb favorite for some time now, which probably explains the high price tag!

12. Aqua cycling. If SoulCycle makes you feel like you’re going to fly off your stationary bike, slow things down with aqua cycling this year. It sounds relaxing but don’t be fooled… The burn of pushing those pedals while submerged in water will torch calories and strengthen muscles. It’s been a ‘thing’ in Europe for awhile, and has quickly earned a reputation  for being a great full-body, strength and cardio workout that keeps you cool.

13. Playground workouts. This fun workout can be a nice change of pace, but it isn’t kid’s play. Running, climbing, and sliding non-stop around a playground can make for a rigorous cardio and strength routine. Just get your workouts in early before the kiddos arrive!

14. HIIT. Last but certainly not least,  HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a type of training entails short blasts of high-intensity effort followed by a brief recovery period. It’s not much different than Tabata training in terms of maximizing time and efficiency, but intervals can be longer with more rest time in between.

Remember, at it’s core, exercising should be about doing what you enjoy. It’s hard enough to find time and motivation to be active daily–there’s no need to dread it all day long, too. If you like your routine, stick to it–but if changing it up sounds fun, give one, or a few of these a try.

- See more at: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2014/01/14-workouts-to-try-2014?utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=email&utm_content=14workouts&utm_campaign=mar14newsletter#sthash.AGod3LXq.dpuf

Progress on Weight Watchers

Since joining Weight Watchers in June 2013, I have lost:

• 18.4 pounds
• 3 Dress Sizes
• 0.7 inches off my thighs (each)
• 2 inches off my arms (each)
• 3.7 inches off my bust
• 3 inches off my waist
• 3.85 inches off my hips

I'm pretty pleased. Feel free to check out my breakdown of the program here. I'm a big supporter, so if you have any questions, let me know!